Sylvia felt her smile dampen as Lev asked her if locking a safety was the kind of thing she could do. "Yeah. That kind of small stuff." Sylvia shook it off as Lev decided he was going to sleep. "All right, good night Lev!" She called before turning to address Reyna's enthusiastic claims. "Ah geeze, I haven't been able to do a lot with my legs. But thanks, I'm glad I could impress you a bit." The silverette leaned back in her chair before watching Reyna walk into the bathroom and change into some pajamas. Sylvia smirked at Reyna's command. "Nobody's judging. I think they look cute on you." She chuckled before inching toward the edge of her seat. With practiced ease, Sylvia slipped onto her hands and settled into a handstand. Carefully Sylvia hand walked toward her bed and climbed onto the edge. She flopped onto the bed, sighing as she then tucked herself in. "I'm going to sleep too. Night guys!"

As the two eldest settled in, Vance decided to follow suit. He curled up in his bed, yawning loudly. "Good night Lev. Good night Sylvia. Good night Rain." He settled down and quickly fell asleep. Almost too quickly morning came, and with it Vance was up and about. The faunus boy was already dressed in his uniform and eager to get to classes. "It's the first day of school! It's the first day of school!" He chirped, moving to wake the rest of his team up once he couldn't take waiting anymore. During the night Sylvia had practically wormed her way further into the blankets until she was nothing but a lump on her bed. At Vance's cheerful wakeup call, a hand poked out and tried to find the alarm that could possibly be waking her up far earlier than she intended. Finding nothing, she finally poked her head out of the blankets to look at her clock. 5:27. Sylvia groaned as she pulled her blanket back over her head, curling away from Vance's voice and pokes. "Come on, we gotta get ready! It's the first day of school!"

"Vance, it's 5 in the morning. Classes don't start until 8. Let us sleep." Sylvia whined, shuffling deeper into her blankets. She groaned when Vance seemed not to hear her, simply continuing to try and get them up. "All right, all right, how about we go walk off some of that energy before class, all right?" Sylvia asked, pulling herself out of her comfortable blanket cave and stretching out. "Just give me a minute to take a shower Vance. But please try to let the other two sleep if they want, all right?" Sylvia requested as she pulled her bag over to her and pulled out her neatly folded uniform. The girl used her semblance to bring her legs and boots over to her, too tired to actually try and physically get them. Once she had her prosthetics properly back on, Sylvia shuffled into the bathroom and shut it. A few minutes later the group could hear water running and a faint singing after.

Once Sylvia had gone into the bathroom, Vance sat back on his bed, practically vibrating. The faunus boy's smile spread wide as he sat cross legged. The bed surprisingly didn't creak as Vance bounced up and down, waiting impatiently for Sylvia to get ready so they could go out and get to classes. He was just so excited! Vance didn't understand why his team seemed so tired when they were going to be hunters and huntresses!
 
Morning came sooner than expected for Lev. Looking at his clock, he sighed and slipped slowly out of bed. 4:30. And it was still dark out to boot. He tossed up the idea of going back to sleep, but one look at how Vance fidgeted in his dreams gave him a good idea of how their first morning as a team was going to go. Better to ditch the noise before it started, so with practiced movements, Lev performed his morning routine noiselessly, from brushing his teeth to combing his hair and getting dressed. It was only after he was all set that he wondered what to do. Offices wouldn't be open for another few hours, and class didn't start until 8. After fiddling with his hair for a moment, Lev decided to go for a run. Anything he could do to de-stress himself before the day's events couldn't hurt, so silently he slid out of the door, careful not to wake the ticking Faunus time-bomb.

An hour later, and Reyna was still lightly snoring away. Vance's bouncing and hollering stirred something in her, but the most it prompted her to do was slide onto the floor with a sleepy grin. Aside from that, she remained stagnant on the floor, as content as if it were her pillow all along. Meanwhile, Lev had made his third lap around the school and stopped for a spot of breakfast consisting of a snack bar and a water bottle in his satchel. "I can do this..." He mumbled to himself, sitting on the steps to the dorm, "...I can do this. I am perfect. I deserve it. I can do this, I am perfect, I deserve this!" After his brief pep talk, followed by a few rousing slaps to the face, Lev looked at his watch. It was about six. One more hour to kill, then he'd be off to set things right...somehow.
 
Once she had finished cleaning herself up, Sylvia felt a lot more awake. Slipping on the uniform, Sylvia smiled at the pants she had managed to swap with the skirt. Opening the door, the girl sighed as she saw Reyna sitting on the floor looking absolutely dead to the world. "Oh boy... Come on. Let's get you back into bed." With a grunt, Sylvia lifted Reyna back into the bed, struggling since the girl had some serious muscle on her. She tucked her teammate in and gave her head a quick pat before turning to Vance. "All right, let's go on that walk." That walk soon turned into a run which then turned into a game of tag. Sylvia couldn't help her laughter as she was chased by Vance in one of the many open field surrounding the school. The two easily wasted a good hour and a half chasing each other around and trying to find new ways to dodge. In the middle of one of their games, Sylvia spotted Lev. Smiling, she waved to the boy. "Hey! Lev! What're you doing up so early?" Looking down at her watch, Sylvia realized that it was now a much more reasonable time to be up. "Oh, well I guess never mind! Hey, why don't we all grab something to eat before classes? It'd be nice to get breakfast together, yeah?" Sylvia smiled at the boy.

Vance almost ran into a column when Sylvia called out to Lev, the faunus boy turning to see his teammate. He smiled and ran up to the black haired boy. "Hi Lev! Did you get up super early too? I'm so excited! I can't wait to learn how to fight monsters and train and become a real life hunter! I never got to ask my questions last night though. Can I ask them now? What's your semblance? How do you fight with really long hair? Doesn't it get in your face all the time? Do you have any siblings? I have four! Two sisters and two brothers! Did you really only want to become a hunter for fun? What's your favorite color?" The faunus boy ranted, quick to try and get answers from the mysterious black haired boy.

Before the faunus boy could launch into another tirade of questions, Sylvia spoke up. "Hey, let's give Lev some time to think, yeah? All those questions are probably overwhelming." The silverette could see fluffy eared boy start to deflate and quickly continued. "We gotta wake Reyna up for breakfast. Come on, we should go get her. Maybe Lev can answer some stuff while we walk if he wants?" Vance perked up, running ahead of the group with a whoop. He slowed down when he realized he couldn't hear Lev's answers so far ahead. Satisfied, Sylvia led the group back to their dorm, opening the door softly to check if Reyna was up. "Hey, Reyna? You up? We're heading to go get breakfast before classes." Sylvia stepped into the room, grabbing her backpack while she was there. She didn't want to have to run back to get her books after all.
 
Lev nearly spat out his water when he heard Sylvia's laughter. He was right about Vance, but seeing the silverette go along with him was unexpected to say the least. Then again, considering her people-pleasing attitude, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised...regardless, Lev did all he could to look inconspicuous. The last thing he needed was his team prying into his plans for the day. Of course, something or other gave him away, and Sylvia's greeting forced him to a frustrated attention. "No thanks, I already-" Before he could finish, Vance came bounding over, his mouth running a mile a minute. Already he was fatigued with pressures from the night before that he could have sworn he worked out in his jog. Until then, he had at least been ready to gently urge his team away with casual conversation, but now he simply sat in silence. Even as Sylvia spoke up in his defense, he could find no reason to play their little games. Luckily, Sylvia gave him a nice out. They were going back to the dorm, and it was drawing close to seven. As they walked, expecting Lev to follow along, he picked himself up and set out in the opposite direction, ignoring whatever drivel was spouting out of their mouths. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. He repeated in his head as he opened the doors to the main building and stopped at the front desk. "I'd like to have a meeting with Headmistress Wunderland. It's...It's urgent."

-

Meanwhile, Reyna continued to sleep. It was only as Sylvia attempted to get her attention that her eyelids fluttered open. "O-Oh, did I sleep in?" She asked, slithering out of bed to look at her clock. After seeing the time and sighing with relief, she hopped up and went straight to the bathroom. It barely took a minute before she was out again, looking fresh as a daisy. "Thanks for coming back for me. I'm afraid I can sleep through anything when it comes down to it." She giggled, brushing out her dress before ushering her teammates out of the room. "C'mon, c'mon, I'm starving... and where's Lev? Did he already run off to class? That nerd...n-not that there's anything wrong with nerds!" She quickly attempted to rectify her word choice to Sylvia with an apologetic chuckle.
 
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Sylvia chuckled as Reyna asked if she slept in. "Nope. Vance here was just up ridiculously early." She didn't have to wait long for the pinkette, but frowned when she asked where Lev was. "He was supposed to be following us..." She turned, trying to find the black haired boy but frowned more when she saw he wasn't there. Reyna's nerd comment made Sylvia snort and shake her head. "Nah, don't worry about it. I will happily embrace my nerdiness. Now, let's get some breakfast!" Vance whooped before turning to talk with Rain, talking about just how excited he was for school to start and how he couldn't wait to meet all the teachers. Sylvia frowned, however, as she thought about what Lev could possibly be doing. He was already pushing them away, and it hurt a lot more than Sylvia wanted to admit. He needed his team as much as they needed him, but whatever his parents had said obviously convinced him otherwise. Then there was the whole 'I'm perfect' schtick. Nobody was perfect, and thinking that way must be exhausting. Sylvia chewed on her bottom lip and scanned the halls for Lev. She wanted to tell him he didn't have to be perfect, but he probably just saw her as an obstacle. Sylvia stumbled, having skipped a beat at the thought. Despite her statement of forgiveness, Lev's words couldn't leave her head. 'Synthetic fraud. Synthetic fraud. Synthetic fraud.' Was that all she was? Just a fraud stealing the spotlight from someone who craved it? Sylvia nearly ran into a wall, only stopped by Vance who pulled her back with a worried pout.

~~~

At the front desk a rabbit faunus sat, his ears and hair a pure white. He held small glasses that sat neatly on the tip of his nose, a pocket watch gleaming in his hand. He sorted through papers and documents, most having to deal with schedules while others held more important subjects. When Lev approached with his request, the faunus man looked through a small blue calendar. Clicking his tongue, the rabbit man looked back up at Lev. "I'm terribly sorry, but Headmistress Wunderland is currently in a meeting and you, young man, must be heading toward your first classes. You'll have to check again after your classes." He was about to send the boy away when a familiar blonde woman appeared.

"I'll talk to the boy Mr. Harrison. My meeting ended early." Headmistress Alice Wunderland walked out of her office, watching Lev with sharp blue eyes. A white corset kept her baby blue dress together, the dress ending just below her knees and fitting tight against the professor's body. White tights and black mary-janes gave off the impression of a young girl, but the woman's sharp dark blue coat quickly dashed them. "Come in." Headmistress Wunderland observed the boy as he walked into her office, closing the door behind them. It was a strange looking place, full of clocks and shelves and teapots. Her desk sat against a large window, staring out toward the Emerald forest. The whole surface was neatly organized, even holding a teapot and cups of its own. sitting down at her desk, the woman gestured for Lev to take the seat across from her. Grabbing the pot, Headmistress Wunderland poured a cup of tea for herself and looked to Lev. "Tea?" She asked. After she got their potential beverages settled, she stared straight into Lev's crimson eyes. "So, Mr. Castor, what brings you to my office?" She stirred a few sugars into her tea, her eyes never leaving Lev's.
 
Lev's fist was clenched, and his tongue was sharpened, ready to defend his reason for being there instead of class, but thankfully she was already there, offering him the meeting he desired. Unballing his fist, Lev took a brief bow from the rabbit faunus's presence, following the headmistress into her...unique office. "P-Please..." He responded to her offer of tea. Once the cups were set, he took a small sip with closed eyes, enjoying the previously missing piece of his peaceful morning before answering her question. "Headmistress, I believe a mistake was made in my team assignment." His leg began to shiver up and down as nerves gripped him, but he continued regardless. "Rather, I believe... I mean, I know I should have been a team leader. My performance during the placement test was stunted by my partner. I didn't have all the facts until last night, but now I know for certain. If you could just make the appropriate corrections, I'll be on my way to class..." Lev fidgeted, as though the words he spoke were not his own, but his eyes held a steadfast determination. Regardless of whether he held his own strings, or someone else was pulling them, he was going to see his intent through.

-

Reyna gladly followed her leader as they headed to breakfast, reciprocating Vance's enthusiasm with smiles and answers in abundance, but she quickly changed her tune when Sylvia was pulled away from a gruesome meeting with a wall. "Hey, are you alright?" The pinkette circled in front of Sylvia, a concerned frown displacing her usually soft features. "Was it Lev? What did he do to you? Do I need to clobber him?" She asked more out of negative bias towards her black-haired teammate, not knowing how true her assumptions were. "I swear I will!" She huffed, giving her knuckles a good crack in preparation.
 
As soon as Lev questioned his team assignment, Headmistress Wunderland raised an eyebrow. She listened to Lev, keeping a blank face as he declared himself a team leader, requesting a change. "There was no mistake in your team assignment, Mr. Castor." Headmistress Wunderland responded as soon as Lev had finished speaking. "Your performance was not 'stunted' as you so put it. Since there was no mistake, there is no need for corrections to be made. Now if you could please head out, I believe classes will be starting soon." The woman responded smoothly, pulling out her scroll as she worked through different papers and sipped her tea. The woman didn't speak more than that, simply waiting for Lev to leave so she could go about her business. She had picked the teams to bring out the best potential outcome. If the boy wanted to change her mind he would have to do more than just tell her she had picked wrong.

~~~

Sylvia blinked as Reyna immediately assumed it was Lev, threatening to hurt their teammate. Desperate to defuse the situation, Sylvia started rambling far more than she intended. "No, no I'm fine! He didn't do anything! He said some stupid things, but he apologized so it's all good! Sides, it wasn't all his fault! I mean, he was stressed out and hurt, and I was pushing his buttons so of course he would lash out a bit, but it was just something said in the heat of it so it's nothing big. So it's fine!" She smiled, continuing on her way to the mess hall so they could eat breakfast. Hopefully, they would just ignore the fact that she had just admitted that Lev said something to hurt her, but she knew if she told them then it wouldn't help their team dynamic at all.

Despite her hopes and prayers, Vance caught onto what Sylvia was trying to avoid talking about. He frowned and watched his leader carefully. "What did he say? It must be something big to have you so out of it!" Vance questioned with concerned eyes, keeping his full attention on his leader.

The silverette internally cursed as she found herself pressured by her teammates to explain. "Look, what he said is in the past. I'm glad you guys care about me, but I don't want you guys going on a witch hunt for Lev. He's got a lot going on right now, and us all turning against him won't help the slightest bit. Please, just let this go. Come on, they're serving pancakes." Sylvia changed the subject, grabbing some food and gesturing for her teammates to do the same. Vance hesitated but quickly grabbed his breakfast.
 
"Wh-Wha...What? No. No! You can't just...I mean," Lev stammered at the headmistress's call on his plight, "you can't just leave me like this! It has to be a mistake! You don't understand, you weren't there! Please, just...just reconsider! I have to be a leader. There is no other option!" He pleaded, standing up from his seat in a panic. Somewhere inside him, Lev knew it shouldn't have come to this. He shouldn't have even bothered coming to the office. He had hurt what could have been a good friend, severed himself from the team he had been generously placed in, and held a grudge about a test that only showed him how he could continue getting better. Yet, as his eyes widened in anger and fear in front of the headmistress, all that swirled in his head was his failure, and his failure to rectify his failure. This is impossible. This can't be happening. I am perfect. I HAVE to be perfect.

-

Reyna's eyes widened as she realized her assumptions were spot on through Sylvia's ramblings. Before she could respond, the silver haired girl had passed her up on the way to the mess hall with Vance close behind. She caught up just as Vance was pointing out exactly what she was thinking, only to be dismissed a moment later. Reyna's eyes narrowed as she saw the wolf boy hesitate to follow along with the silverette as she got her food, and eventually she left the line altogether to stand in her leader's way. "Hey!" She huffed, looking up at Sylvia with suspicion. "Y'know, I don't like Lev, what he does, or how he does it, but he's never once said anything mean enough to bother someone this much. This is wrong, Sylvia. If you don't want us to turn on him blindly, then tell us what's happening. Hiding from your team, or at least from me, won't make anything easier on you as a leader. I've seen enough classmates make that mistake in Signal, Lev included."

Crossing her arms and shaking her head, Reyna got back in line and got a tray of food before returning to Sylvia's side, this time with a more gentler expression. "...We're a team, Sylvia. I can understand having secrets, but when you can't hide the effects, that's when it becomes our business."

"She is right," spoke the familiar gazelle Faunus walking up to the girls with a tray and a smile, "when the base is shaken, so is all the parts connected. My mother told me long ago that when the bottom of a tower shivers, the middle shakes, and the top quakes, until it all crumbles... ah, but why don't we sit and speak, rather than stand? There are open seats across from my team and myself, and I would be glad to meet the rest of yours, as well as introduce my own."

As he spoke, Reyna's tough-loving attitude shrunk into a nonexistent clump in her throat. Another Faunus! she squealed internally, her face growing a light pink as she gazed at Seymour's horns. Now quiet, the pinkette waited behind Sylvia, with pigeon-toes and clammy palms, for a decision to be made, hoping somewhere deep in her currently occupied mind that her words had gotten through to her leader.
 
The boy's outrage made Headmistress Wunderland glance up at him, watching as he floundered and begged. She raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Why is there no other option? I see a clear other option plainly." She settled back, keeping her eyes on Lev as she analyzed him. "You would be placed in a team with a capable leader and work well with them. That is another option right there. Your accusation of me not understanding seems strange since I'd assume you'd know we'd observe the tests." The blonde tapped something on her scroll before setting it in the middle of her desk, a hologram of the fight against the nevermore showing. "I could see exactly what happened. I saw what your plan was, how your teammates reacted, and how you all defeated the nevermore and made my choices accordingly. Yes, your partner hindered your weapon by turning on the safety, but I believe she was doing her best to keep the most people, including yourself, alive." After turning off the scroll, Headmistress Wunderland poured herself some more tea, putting in another two sugars. "Now, what I'm curious is what makes you think there is no other option. Why are you so adamant about being a leader?" Her blue eyes pierced through Lev, seemingly staring straight into his soul as she calmly sipped her tea.

~~~

Sylvia bit her lip as her teammate lectured her, only to be joined in by Seymour. She sighed as she realized she still had a lot to learn about this whole leader business, only adding to the weight of those stupid words. She noticed Reyna's odd reaction to the faunus boy, but brushed it off for now. "Hey Seymour. I hope we don't make this a habit of you coming to give me some wisdom about being a leader too often. I wanna talk about normal stuff with you too, ya know." She smiled, joking a bit though she knew she had to talk to her teammates. Sighing, the girl gave Seymour a quick smile. "How about we catch up with you and your team in a minute. I wanna talk with them alone for a sec. Go on ahead, we'll be there in a few minutes." Sylvia gave a sincere smile before waiting for Seymour to leave. Turning to her teammates, she sighed as she set her food down temporarily. "All right, all right, I get it. So last night, when I went to go find Lev I found him on the roof talking to his parents. He seemed really scared about it and upset, so I tried getting him to talk to me, but he kinda just lashed out. He... he called me a synthetic fraud, and it hurt a lot more than I wanted it to. But he wasn't really thinking when he said it, so I don't want to hold it against him too much." Taking a deep breath, Sylvia grabbed her food once again. "Now, how about we go sit with Seymour and his team, yeah?" Sylvia smiled as she waited for her teammates to respond.

Vance reacted almost immediately, wrapping his leader in a big hug. "You're not a fraud, Sylvia. You're a great leader and a great fighter! Just cause you're different doesn't mean you're bad. It makes you all the better!" Vance let go of Sylvia with a smile, grabbing his food. "Now, let's go eat breakfast! I'm starving!" The faunus boy started to bound toward Seymour and his team, excited to eat breakfast.
 
Wunderland's analysis of his performance was biting, if only to Lev, causing him to grit his teeth as he took the criticism along with the "other option," that the headmistress had in mind. "I-I know you observe the tests," he stammered, refusing to sit down, "but that fight... I had it handled! Everyone would have been fine. My plan was...p-perfect." He almost choked on the word as he watched the proof right in front of him, both his negligence in how he was attempting to take down the grimm, and Sylvia's dedication to her team's safety. Before he could answer the headmistress's question, he felt his scroll vibrate, and vibrate again. With a shaking hand, he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the contact with dread. Mother.

With eyes filled with fear, Lev stepped away from Wunderland's desk. "I'm...I'm sorry, I have to take this." he spoke with a reservation that he had yet to show to the headmistress, then proceeded to back further away from the desk as he answered his scroll. It was only after he was near the exit that he halted and began to pace. "Yes? ...yes, I... N-No, I'm here n-now... She said no... No! I-I mean, n-no, mother, I apologize, but you don't have to... Tomorrow? M-Mother, please, stay home, I... No, no I have this under control, you don't have to... Y-Yes... Yes... Yes mother... I'll pack my things..." After his call, Lev ceased his pacing and walked back to the headmistress's desk with much less resolve than the first time. "I...I will not be attending Beacon this year. My m-mother will be by...tomorrow, to resolve any issues on that front. Th-Thank you for your time..." He kept remarkable composure considering the news, but his eyes were red from the tears that continued to accumulate, and his face was no better in that regard. After a brief bow, Lev about-faced and headed towards the door, allowing at least a few droplets to fall from his eyes.

-

Seymour chuckled at the silverette's reaction to his presence. "I don't wish to disappoint, but this is my 'normal stuff,' as you say. But I understand. My team is right over there. Feel free to have a seat whenever it pleases you." After pointing out his team, the gazelle boy set out for his own seat. Once he was out of earshot, Reyna finally recovered enough to step back up with Sylvia, resisting the urge to ask where she and the new guy had met.

After Sylvia said her piece, Reyna nodded her head in thought. "Lev's parents? He said they had pretty average jobs. I wonder what he'd be scared of..." Her concentration was broken when Vance gave their leader a hug. With a smile, Reyna joined in, hoisting up both teammates by their waists with what was becoming her trademark embrace. "He's right, you're fine. And I guess since you told us, I won't actively seek to beat Lev's face in...just this once." She winked, giving one last squeeze to her two airborne teammates before setting them down again.

Once they had all sat down, Seymour actively shook each of their hands before speaking. "I'm glad to see you, though I hope your other teammate can make it another day. Now, allow me to make introductions. Team SLVR, my name is Seymour, and I am the captain of this, team SAGE. This..." he motioned to a panther Faunus with buzzed pitch black hair, small ears, and a long, active tail. His expression was almost brooding-esque, and it remained unchanged aside from a small lift of the corner of his mouth. He nodded a greeting as his leader continued. "...is Gabe. This is his neutral expression, so please, take no offense." The gazelle boy chuckled, knowing that his comment earned a brief glare from his comrade.

The next member he motioned to was a girl with long ears, very small horns, and white hair with black highlights that reached just a bit below her neck. A cow Faunus. She seemed very nervous as Seymour introduced her. "This is Ellie. She's actually not seeking the career of a huntress, but wants to be a field specialist instead."

"Yes! Yes," she interrupted, desiring to explain herself, "I'm not a very good fighter, y'see, but I'm good at helping people! My semblance lets me mend all sorts of wounds, but I'm sure you can imagine it's not the handiest thing to have when you're around s-so many talented peers! I'm much better at healing people with undeveloped aura, y'see, so civilian care is where I really belong. I mean, I still don't know how I got in here! ...Oh, d-dear, Seymour, did I interrupt again? I'm sorry, so very sorry!" Ellie cupped her hands desperately, hoping her leader would forgive her.

"Not a problem, though you undersell yourself. Remember, I've seen you fight." He remarked before turning back to Sylvia and her team. "Her aura is monstrous in comparison to ours, so don't let her fool you." He chuckled again before turning to his final teammate. However, before he could make the introduction, the lioness Faunus took over.

"I'm Abigale. Don't mess with Seymour or I'll end you." She stated bluntly, running her fingers through her bright red pixie-cut. Seymour was quick to cut in.

"Abby, that was hardly necessary."

"But they obviously don't know who you are, or they'd show a little more respect!" She attempted to counter, turning back to Sylvia and her team with eyes narrowed. "Seymour is from a line of shamans and sooth-sayers in our village. His semblance is so powerful that it's been passed through his family every generation! He's basically famous, so don't even think of chumming up to him!"

"...well, I was attempting to avoid discussing that..." Seymour sighed, preparing to cover his bases. "...but yes, it's true, my family is well renowned in smaller Faunus communities, though I'd hardly say that makes us famous in any way. And Abby and I grew up in the same village, so I apologize if she comes off as a bit protective." At this, Abigale huffed, but kept her mouth shut and looked away instead of retaliating. "So yes, my semblance is hereditary, but rare genetics mean nothing in our line of work. Please think nothing of it. Instead, why don't you..." He stopped before finishing his sentence to observe Reyna, attempting to understand exactly what was happening with the pink haired girl. "...are you alright, friend?"

Meanwhile, Reyna's nose had been bleeding the second she had a chance to look at team SAGE. All...Faunus... was all she could think of as she stuffed napkins in her face, desperately trying to slow the flow of blood. Seymour's rapt attention only made it worse, drawing out an unusual noise from the girl rather than any words of significance. Seymour didn't give it another thought though, instead turning to Ellie with a nod. Without hesitation, the cow girl sat up and reached over, pressing a single finger into the base of Reyna's nose. As easy as that, the bleeding stopped, and Reyna was left to lean on Vance in embarrassment.

"A-Anyways," Seymour began again, "why don't you introduce your team?"
 
Wunderland watched Lev calmly as the boy continued to fall into more and more of a panic. The scroll call had her curious as she listened to the boy talk to his mother. The end of the conversation had Wunderland frowning, standing up from her desk and moving to grab Lev's shoulder. She steered the boy back to her desk. "Come now, let's not be rash." After settling Lev in his seat, she declared. "Nothing said in this room will leave without your consent, understand?" Once she got some kind of confirmation, she asked, "Now what in the world do you mean you're not attending Beacon? I seem to have all of your papers and you certainly passed your examinations." She grabbed his abandoned cup of tea and refilled it, setting the warm cup in his hands. "And despite not earning a leadership role in your team, you are still a remarkable student." Wunderland leaned against her desk, her eyes softening as she saw how upset he was about this predicament. "I didn't just keep you from a leadership position because of your examination results. I put you in the position you are in because from my experience that is what is best for you and your growth as a hunter. More often than not you will not be the leader. It doesn't mean you won't be any less of a wonderful hunter." Kneeling down, Headmistress Wunderland looked Lev straight in the eye. Her hands fell on his shoulders, squeezing them. She didn't react much, simply keeping a calm face. "Now, I want you to answer something for me, Mr. Castor. Don't think about what your mother wants, what your father wants, what anybody else expects of you. I want your complete and honest answer." After cementing the importance of this answer, Wunderland asked, "Do you want to attend Beacon and become a hunter?"

~~~

Sylvia shrieked as she was lifted suddenly. Vance laughed at the sudden large group hug while being lifted off of the ground. She couldn't help the smile as Reyna promised not to go after Lev... this time. Once settled down and seated in front of team SAGE, Sylvia found herself relaxing a lot more. Vance listened intently to each introduction, making Sylvia smile as the faunus boy's eyes lit up at each descriptor. The silverette was content to just sit back and listen, but as soon as Abby introduced herself, she burst out laughing. Vance looked over at his leader, semi-confused. What was so funny about this girl being protective over their leader? He thought before deciding it was worthless to ponder and started on his breakfast. Gulping down big breaths, Sylvia calmed herself before the lion faunus could try to accuse her of laughing at Seymour. "Ah, goodness, sorry I didn't mean to laugh. That's cool that he's got a unique semblance like that, but the whole 'no chumming' thing isn't gonna work out too well. See, you all are gonna become my chums so I'm afraid Seymour has to be included in that list." Sylvia smiled, relaxing herself as she listened to Seymour. She only noticed Reyna's predicament after Seymour noted it. Immediately, Sylvia tried to examine the problem only for it to be taken care of by Ellie. As Reyna cuddled into him, Vance immediately took up the role of comforting the embarrassed girl, running a hand through her hair as he wolfed down his breakfast.

Turning back to the other team, Sylvia smiled. "Thanks for that. Guess I should go ahead and introduce them." Clearing her throat, Sylvia sat up straighter. "Well, I'm Sylvia, captain of Team SLVR. This is Reyna," She gestured to the pinkette before continuing. "She's a bit shy, so she doesn't talk much at first. However, don't let her fool you. She's probably physically the strongest out of our whole team. Then this is Vance," Sylvia tapped the Wolf Faunus on the shoulder, causing him to pause in his eating to give a quick smile before going back to eating. "He's probably the exact opposite of Reyna in socialization. He's definitely extremely energetic. He decided to try and wake us all up at 5 in the morning today so we could all get ready for classes."

Vance swallowed his latest mouthful before responding. "But we got to play tag because I was up early! And Reyna still kept sleeping. I'm just so excited! We're learning to fight monsters and protect people! I could barely sleep last night!" He exclaimed, throwing an arm up to emphasize his point. Despite his boisterous nature, Vance kept his movements to a minimum as to not jostle Reyna too much.

A chuckle bubbled up Sylvia's throat at Vance's excited claims. "That we did. Our last member is Lev, but he's off getting some personal stuff figured out. He's a great sharpshooter, and will not hesitate to tell you the difference between sharpshooters and snipers. I'm sure you guys'll get to meet him later. It's nice to officially meet you all." The leader practically beamed with pride as she finished describing her teammates. The way the girl puffed up at describing her teammates achievements seemed reminiscent of a proud parent showing off how great their children were.

Once Sylvia had finished the introductions, Vance didn't hesitate to jump on questions and leave Sylvia to actually eat her breakfast. "You guys are so cool! I hope I can be that cool! I can punch stuff really hard, and my semblance lets me rebound attacks and stuff, but being able to heal people? Or having a semblance that your whole family has? That's amazing! Sylvia's also got a super amazing semblance! She can control weapons with her mind! She even fixed my weapon up super quick and didn't even have to touch it! Maybe you have a generational semblance, Sylvia!"

The silverette shook her head at Vance's exclamations. "Hey, rebounding stuff is a great semblance. And I didn't quite not have to touch it. I had to look at all the inner workings of your weapon to even attempt to control it, Vance. If I don't know the schematics, I can do small stuff. My semblance isn't hereditary, sorry to disappoint ya, Vance." Sylvia gave Vance a tousle of the hair.

"I never said my semblance wasn't great. My semblance is super cool! Cause a grimm can try to hit me then POW! Their attack gets sent right back! It's super fun!" Vance responded. "It's amazing to hear about other semblances too! Oh! Oh! What are you guys's favorite foods? This is an important question." Vance demanded, losing the excited glint in his eyes for a more serious one.
 
Lev's eyes widened, much like they had when Sylvia took hold of his wrist, when the headmistress grabbed his shoulder, but the pit in his stomach that he assumed had left him after last night reopened. He couldn't force out another tirade. Not so soon after his mother's call. It hurt enough remembering what he had said to his partner. So with slow steps, Lev allowed himself to be taken back to his seat. He sat quietly as the headmistress became more vocal and open with her concerns. He nodded in acknowledgement as the office was declared a secure haven for his thoughts, but the fluttering in his chest and the gap in his gut refused to settle. After all, it wasn't up to him anymore. Best to get it all out now regardless.

"...My life has always been governed by my parents." Lev began after Wunderland had said her piece. "From birth to death, they used to tell me, as if things never changed, and never would." Tears finally began to overflow from his eyes, dropping out bit by bit as he began the story he never thought he'd tell. "I haven't a drop of hunter or huntress blood in me, ma'am. My family made its way on civilian jobs and wise economic decisions, never in danger, and always in control of our lives. My mom is a lawyer, and my dad is a doctor, y'know? They make bank every month, and they expected me to want the same thing...no, that's not true. They raised me...trained me to want the same thing. The safe thing. The thing that kept our well-oiled machine running generation after generation... I guess they trained me wrong though. I grew up with a yard-stick on my knuckles every second of the day. W-With a forehead to the ground and hands bowed, y'know?" Lev's hands shivered with the cup in his grip, so he quickly put it down in order to hide his jitters.

"Perfect. I had to...I have to be perfect. The highest honors. Summa Cum Laude. Nothing less was allowed, and I delivered, because they made it very clear that my consequences for anything else would be a fate worse than death...at least, that's how they made it sound. So...so when I told them I wanted to branch out and be a hunter, those were their stipulations. Perfection. No matter what happened, I was to be everything. It had to be my name on the plaque, my face in the picture, my signature in the book...whatever could be achieved, it had to be mine...and it was. Every year, every semester, every month...until I received my final report. I was being held back. Poor team cohesiveness, they said. My parents...they knew how well I had performed in Signal! They had all my awards. All the news prints, all the trophies...so they spared me that one time, and took everything out on the school. They threatened to sue, to pull me out, to dig up the dirtiest secrets, to make Signal's prestige into a waking nightmare... I'm pretty sure that's why I got off with summer school, instead of redoing my final year...I'm also sure that's why I passed my remedial test. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if my parents had something to do with my getting here in Beacon."

Lev wiped his face of tears, sniffling in irritation at the constant stream before continuing. "...I know I don't deserve to be here after all that happened at Signal. I'm barely qualified to be on a team at all, let alone lead one...but I don't know what else to do. Of course I want to be a hunter! This is the one thing in my life that I've gotten to decide for myself! I may have put in the effort for my parents, but this... Beacon is for me. But the deal still stands. I'm no leader. My name isn't what heralds team SLVR. Maybe to a hunter or a huntress, that's no big deal...but you aren't dealing with people who know the system. You're dealing with me, and you're dealing with my parents, and all they see is who's name comes first. If it isn't mine, then there's no point in my being here. They're just wasting their resources on some snot-nosed, weakling brat who could be doing something far more valuable with his career choice as far as they're concerned... So yes, this is all I've ever wanted, but I screwed up. I wasn't perfect. My team hates me. My leader...m-my partner probably thinks I'm some clown with an unsurpassed ego... I'VE LOST! GET IT?! I lost everyone before I could even get close! So just let me leave so I can pack my bags and see what fresh hell is waiting for me back home, because I can't do ANYTHING RIGHT!"

-

Abigale continued to refuse to interact with team SLVR, though every once in a while her eyes could be seen flitting between its members curiously. Seymour, on the other hand, was quite taken with the three settled across from him. "Reyna and Vance, a pleasure to know your names. Reyna, you're team must be lucky to have someone so strong as a defender. You're kindness is only outweighed by your desire to protect the ones you love, and that is admirable all on its own. And Vance, what an energetic aura! Your innocence and eagerness keeps the harshness of the world away from your team. You may not see or understand all that you do, but rest assured, you are a rare spark indeed that lights the way for your friends."

"You're doing it again, Seymour." Gabe chimed in before picking at his food once more.

The gazelle boy had to blink a few times before he understood what happened. "Oh?...Oh! I-I apologize!" He chucked. "Prophesying runs in my family, as I said. Sometimes it is simply an instinct. I hope I haven't said too much."

Abigale took that moment to return her heated gaze back to the SLVR group. "You see! You'll all just cause Seymour trouble. He has more important things to focus on than runts like you!" She huffed, puffing out her chest like the proud lioness she was, only to feel Ellie's hands on her shoulders in response.

"Y-You don't really mean that, r-right Abby?" She giggled nervously, massaging the fiery haired girl's upper back with astonishing results. Soon, the lioness had rolled back a ways in her seat, losing the will to be angry with Sylvia and her team. The most she could respond with was a "Y-Yeah, whatever..."

While they were occupied, Gabe was the first to both hear, and take an interest in, Vance's question. The panther boy leaned in close, looking Vance up and down with attentive eyes. "...Chicken..." he said, with an expression and a voice matching the level of seriousness that the wolf boy set.

Seymour was the next to speak up after getting a laugh at how into the topic both Gabe and Vance seemed to be. "Ah, well I like grapes, actually!" He began with a smile, seeming to act a bit more his age with the introduction of a casual topic. "On the other hand, Abby has an amazingly refined palate. She likes steak cut from a dry-rub roast, smoked over applewood, then grilled to apply a bit of a crust to the skin. Our families ate together often, and I had the pleasure of tasting this same meal. I can say without hesitation that I can see why it is her favorite, though I doubt any can do it the same justice that her father does. Anyways, how about you, Ellie?"

"O-Oh, goodness, ants on a log is all I need!" She said with a smile. Quickly her smile wained as she felt multiple sets of eyes fall on her in astonishment. "...Wh-What? You've never heard of it? I-It's just celery with peanut-butter and raisins! Did you really think that I-" She shuddered before she could finish the sentence, seeming to cringe at the very thought of what else "ants on a log" could insinuate.

All the while, Reyna simply sat in silence, doing her best to eat her breakfast while still clinging to Vance's arm, doing her absolute best to be completely invisible.
 
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The boy's confession tore something in Wunderland's heart. Yet she kept her face neutral as the boy explained his home situation. Once he finished, she took his hands and settled them in his lap. "Now, now, you'll rub your face raw like that." She walked to the other side of her desk and pulled out a tissue box, gently handing it to the boy before settling in front of him. "Now, I want you to listen, and listen well. Consider this your first official lesson at Beacon." Content with the boy's attention, Wunderland began. "Now, it seems you have a trouble with extremes. Either you're perfect or you're making too many mistakes. It doesn't leave you with much leeway. As a hunter-or in any profession for that matter, you cannot think this way. Thinking you are simply a failure decreases your moral and your self-worth. This can have disastrous effects. However, thinking yourself perfect can lead to pompousness and a lack of growth. If you are already perfect, why must you grow? It's between these two extremes that you must create a balance. Acknowledging your achievements while striving to improve yourself. It's what we all strive toward, and many succeed. Now, that doesn't mean we don't fall towards extremes. It's only human after all." Wunderland walked over to a shelf with different tea pots, lifting the lid off of one only to pick out a strange tea bag out of it. She walked over to her desk and pulled out a small oven burner and set a fresh teapot on it.

As Headmistress Wunderland set up her new tea, she continued. "I can understand when you are young your parents have a lot of control over your actions. Your parents, it seems, have taken this a bit too far. I can only assume they have your best interests at heart, but I haven't met them personally so I cannot truly judge. Either way, they made a mistake in your upbringing, putting far too much pressure on you to be an ideal that no human can ever begin to hope to achieve. They seem to forget that you're human too with your own wants and needs. I hope they will correct this in the future." The kettle started to whistle, signaling the tea was done. Wunderland took the pot off of her stove-like contraption and poured two cups of tea. She then proceeded to add honey and sugars as she talked. "Now, I can assure you they had no part in your acceptance to Beacon. I chose all of my students personally, and no amount of money or parental influence can help a child become enrolled in my school. You're an excellent hunter, Mr. Castor. Yes, your teamwork could improve, but that is why I placed you where you are in team SLVR. I believe both you and your teammates will grow best in this arrangement." Once the cups of tea were finished, Wunderland set one in front of Lev before taking a sip of her own.

"Now, I must stress something, Mr. Castor. You are 18 years old, correct?" The professor waited for confirmation before continuing. "Your parents cannot take you out of this school then, Mr. Castor. You are legally considered an adult, therefore you can make your own decisions. They cannot decide what school you go to or what career path you take. Even if you had still been 17, as soon as you entered this academy you became a legal adult in the eyes of the government. Therefore, any threat to pull you out is meaningless unless you decide you no longer wish to attend." Wunderland sat back down behind her desk, grabbing her scroll as she pulled up some financial documents. "Now, if it is financial matters that worry you, I can assure you that there are dozens upon dozens of scholarships you can apply for that I'm sure you would receive. You are indeed a superb student despite your setback. If your parents truly do not know this system and insist on visiting tomorrow, I will have to educate them." Wunderland took a sip of her tea before looking back at the black haired boy. "Now, if you would please return to your classes and your team. I would hate to lose a student with such great potential like yourself." With that said, Wunderland started to work on her previously abandoned paperwork.

~~~

Team SAGE just seemed too quirky and interesting for Sylvia not to crack a huge smile and chuckle here and there. Hearing the prophesying had Sylvia wave her hand in response, though the lioness's response only made her chuckle more. Soon the group delved into lighter topics such as favorite foods. She could see just how serious Vance was taking this, smiling fondly before looking over at the rest of the meal hall. Lev was still nowhere to be seen, and it set Sylvia on edge. She wanted to know what was going on with her partner. If she could help, then gosh darn it, she wanted to help! Sadly he was still missing, leaving the leader to just stuff more of her breakfast in her mouth.

The different answers made Vance nod, his face finally cracking into grin once he got everyone's answers. "Great! My favorite food's chicken too! Maybe one day we could all go on a great big picnic and bring our favorite foods and run around in the fields! I think that would be great!" Vance finished with a smile before noticing he was missing an important answer. Turning to his shy partner, Vance frowned before focusing on Rain. "What's your favorite food, Rain?" He asked, pausing in his petting.

Sylvia finished her breakfast as Vance asked his question. Seeing the clear attempt to try and get Reyna to open up a bit, Sylvia tried to make the girl feel more comfortable as she pitched in. "I'm a bit curious too. I know mine is beef stew. My dad can make a pretty mean broth while my mom makes the best veggies. Did your parents make stuff you liked while you were travelling?" She asked, smiling at her shy teammate.
 
Lev eagerly accepted the tissues as the headmistress spoke. The more he heard, the more his tears fell, and the redder his face became. He didn't like what he heard. He didn't like the idea that he was so easily subjugated by these "extremes" that Wunderland was talking about. Most of all, he didn't like how much sense it made. All his life there had only been good or bad, and here the headmistress was offering some grey area like it was normal. But she didn't stop there. His parents' quality of teaching, his acceptance into Beacon, potential for growth...she covered them all as though the answer had been dangling in front of his nose the whole time. Looking at the tea placed before him, Lev finally started to understand where he was in the world, so he took a sip, and listened on. Her next remarks, specifically those on his age and adulthood, made him sit up straight and wide-eyed. Of all the things he made sure to understand before entering Beacon, his own legal boundaries from his parents never crossed his mind. His fingers left the cup and began to fiddle with the hair behind his back as he realized just how lost he was under his parents' thumb. Once Wunderland finished speaking, Lev felt a tug to tell her everything on his mind, but looking at the teacup he had left behind brought him out of his emotional stupor. She had worked hard for her position, and very clearly knew better than him on these sorts of matters. Once his face was dry, Lev stood up, thanked the headmistress for the tea, and walked out as calmly as he could, scroll in hand. Slowly, his fingers fell on the screen, stringing letter after letter into his first words of defiance against his parents.

I'm not leaving.

Once it was sent, Lev set out for his first class of the day, feeling his gut do flips as an assortment of weights were lifted and replaced. Making it to the classroom 15 minutes early, he found a good seat and began to ponder Wunderland's lesson. If she was right about everything she said, then all he had to do was make it through tomorrow...

-

Reyna nearly screamed when Vance included her into the conversation, but her voice settled for a quick "Eep!" instead. After Sylvia gave her answer, she pushed herself to think past the wall of Faunus staring at her. Favorite food...favorite food... she repeated mentally, finding the fortitude to lift away from Vance's comforting form. "I-I, um... I mean, my favorite food is, um, grilled salmon, w-with lemon juice..." she forced out, looking at her feet the whole time.

Seymour, seeing her troubles, extended his hand with a smile. "Reyna, may I have your hand?" His phrasing made both the pinkette and Abigale turn a bright shade of red for very different reasons, but Reyna consented regardless, squinting her eyes in fear of what he was going to do with her. Once he had her palm in his, Seymour's eyes widened, and his face took the same shade as the girls. Biting down on his lips before he could start laughing at what he now knew, he gave Reyna's hand a firm shake. "Th-That sounds delicious. I hope we can have that p-picnic soon!" He struggled, letting go of her palm and leaning back with a sigh. Meanwhile the pink haired girl, distraught with trying to find the point in the gazelle's actions, leaned back on Vance with a pout.

"It's ten-till. I'm heading out." Gabe chimed, disappearing with his tray from his spot and reappearing at a nearby trashcan. After dumping the remainder of his food and putting up his tray, he disappeared once more, leaving the rest of the SAGE crew to stand up with their trays as well.

"It looks like class will be starting soon. We'll see you later!" Seymour smiled before heading off with his team. Abigale remained just a bit longer to glare at the entirety of team SLVR, and stick her tongue out at Reyna, before running off with Seymour.
 
Seymour's and Reyna's reactions combined made Sysliva raise an eyebrow, curious as to whether Reyna's shyness was simply that or if team SAGE being all faunus had something to do with it. Either way, the silverette was extremely proud of her for at least contributing a little bit to the conversation. Sylvia blinked as Gabe seemed to teleport away and off to class. She supposed that it was time to head to class as well. Smiling, she waved back at Seymour. "See you later." With that she stood up and gestured for her team to do the same. "All right, looks like we should start heading out as well. Maybe we'll be able to meet back up with Lev in class."

The whole meeting had only brightened Vance's excitement as he waved cheerfully at their fellow team. "Bye! See you guys in class!" He practically bounced along, following Sylvia like an excited puppy and pulling Reyna along with him. "We're gonna be hunters, Rain! Real live hunters! I wonder what class we'll have first! Maybe we'll learn about different Grimm! Or we'll learn different fighting techniques! Oh! Maybe we'll even get to fight a captured Grimm! I can't wait!" The wolf faunus exclaimed as he skipped down the hallway, obviously glad to be getting started.

Sylvia didn't want to break the poor boy's heart by explaining that they would probably be doing something a little more boring like taking care of your weapon or basic strategy. It was a typical school thing to start you off slowly before you got to the good stuff. The trio made it to the classroom with five minutes to spare. Sylvia scanned the room before immediately landing on a long, black haired boy. "Lev!" She called out, unintentionally calling attention to them as she jogged up to her teammate, Vance trailing behind her. Sylvia practically slammed into her seat. Turning to Lev, she started, "Hey, are you okay? You kinda disappeared on us earlier this morning." The attention she had garnered quickly left as students focused on their own teammates or nerves about the first official day of classes. Sylvia kept her concerned green eyes trained on Lev as Vance settled down next to her, pulling Reyna into the seat next to him.
 
Reyna just wanted to stay planted in her seat after the strange interaction with team SAGE, but Vance would have none of it. It wasn't long before she was being dragged along by the arm to class, doing her best to keep up with the wolf boy's pace. His enthusiasm finally brought a smile to her face as they walked, though it was short lived as she saw Lev already seated. If Sylvia hadn't gotten to him first, she would have given the black-haired mope a piece of her mind so fast it would have shaved him bald. Instead, she was forcefully plopped down next to her partner. With a sigh, she focused on the front of the class, wondering when the professor would arrive.

Meanwhile, Lev turned to his team with a half-hearted greeting, wondering how enthusiastic he should be after his chat with Wunderland. "Hey..." He began, eyes shifting around for a distraction. His hands found nothing but his hair, and his fingers began intermingling with the locks as he forced himself to conclude the conversation. "I'm alright, I guess. Just...thinking. We can talk tonight, but for now I just need time...s-sorry."

As if planned, the door slowly creaked open, and a large, silver-haired man stepped through. He closed the door just as slow as it opened, and moved at a caterpillar's pace to the chair behind the teacher's desk. Pipe in one hand, and a cup of black coffee in the other, what looked to be the morning's professor settled into the form-fitting fabric of the wheel-born seat and rolled out to the middle of the classroom, observing the student body that he would be instructing. The closer he got, the more clear his features were: Bloodshot eyes, yellow teeth, and an immense amount of wrinkles almost strictly from frowning. Every time he exhaled, a diluted cloud of rose-tinted smoke accompanied his breath. It seemed to dissipate before ever reaching more than a foot away from his body, but the rich, yet strangely comforting, aroma of what could have passed for candied rose buds, tea, and tobacco filled the room and increased the size of his presence. Soon all talking had ceased, and he had yet to say a word.

"...My name is Dr. Monarch. I will be your morning instructor for this year, as well as your guidance counselor for the duration of your time at Beacon. Best to stay on my good side, hmm?" His words came out slow and methodically, and his expression remained in a perpetual state of disinterest. Even as he sat below the elevated seats of the students, it seemed as though he lorded over all of them, speaking down from the ceiling like the perch of a god. His voice was as rich as the smoke it produced, though it had a sort of grit that likely came from the coffee he occasionally sipped, and the pipe he occasionally puffed. After getting his fill of the students' faces, he wheeled toward the chalkboard and wrote his name down. "This course will cover the basics of aura and semblance, as well as their discovery and use through history. Each student will perform a case study on their own ability over our time here, and will present their findings for the final grade. You will either pass, or fail, based on that. One grade. I expect failures, but you shouldn't." He looked around, lips finally pursed in a passable smirk as he observed flashes of panic and relief in staggered bursts cross his students' faces. "...I take attendance when I walk in. If you aren't in your seat when the door closes, you are late. If you aren't in your seat when I am in mine, you are absent. I decide the consequences for each. Now, let's begin the lesson..."

So began team SLVR's day. Lev remained focused on his classes, even when traveling between rooms and teachers throughout the day. Despite keeping himself distant from his team, he was no longer cold, and at the very least walked alongside Sylvia as the day drew on. Reyna, on the other hand, needed Vance to keep her on track. The brief Faunus sighting would often bring her to a stop, and it would take the wolf boy's attention-grabbing attitude to move her along again.
 
Lev's answer didn't sit well with Sylvia, but she accepted it nonetheless. Frowning, she turned to watch as Dr. Monarch walked in, immediately setting the tone for the school day. Soon enough they were bouncing through teachers crazier than the last. First it was Professor Hatcher who practically skipped into the classroom proclaiming the dangers of grimm, then came Professor Harrison who had seemed practically drunk when he came into the classroom with his droopy brown rabbit ears and bloodshot eyes. Every professor seemed to have some kind of quirk about them that made them all seem a little odd. Sylvia couldn't understand where Headmistress Wunderland found all of them. Despite the strange teachers, the classes remained tame and usually consisted of lectures and note taking. Sylvia sighed as she walked to their last class of the day, glad that at least they were easing them into the curriculum.

Vance, on the other hand, was bored. His pout deepened after each class before he proclaimed that the next class had to be better than the last. It didn't help that Reyna seemed to keep getting distracted so he had to slow down enough so he could get her attention before pulling her along. By the time they finally got to the last class of the day, the faunus boy was ready to just go back to their room and flop down on his bed. No matter how funny the professor was, they always eventually got to teaching boring things and nothing fun! Vance slumped against the table in front of him, waiting for the next teacher to inevitably disappoint him.

The door suddenly shut, causing most students to look around trying to find the culprit. Each and every student started to whisper, asking who had done it and what was going on. A purple haired figure appeared by Lev, looking around with the rest of the students. "That was quite strange, wasn't it? A door just closing all by itself." The man, obviously quite older than the students, stated over the whisperings. Everyone's attention turned to the strange man with the striped cat ears. Smiling, the man looked around at the students in wonder. "Oh, suddenly we all have gone quiet. Think you've found the culprit? Well..." The man disappeared from sight. A few tense moments passed before he reappeared on his desk, sitting with one leg over the other and hands on his knee. "You're quite correct! And we start with our first lesson of today! The simplest answer is most often correct!" Hopping off of his desk, the cat Faunus's yellow eyes twinkled as his smile remained incredibly large. "Welcome students to strategy and tactics! You may call me Professor Sher as we start our long journey together. Now, let us begin with a brief history as is required." The man delved into his speech, letting the class wind down from the shock of his entrance.

As soon as the bell rang for the end of the day, Vance bolted out of the classroom. "I thought the classes would be fun! But all they did was just talk about things we already knew!" The faunus complained as he turned to watch the rest of his team, walking backwards. "When do we get to actually do things and go on missions? I thought that's what Beacon was all about! Not just more lectures." Vance scowled as if the word insulted him, his ears swiveling back in displeasure.

"It's gonna take a while before we can go on missions, Vance." Sylvia pointed out, watching as the boy inflated. "But, in the meantime we can do some training together tomorrow." Vance seemed to perk up at the idea before pouting once he realized that the silverette had said "tomorrow".

"Why not today? There was nothing fun today!" Vance whined, slumping his shoulders.

The silverette gave a small smile. "Well, if you want to train alone or want to convince Lev or Reyna to train with you then go for it, but it's been kinda an eventful day full of a lot of new information. I wanna get to the room and relax."

Exaggerating a sigh, Vance stretched out. "But it's not as fun training alone... and I still have to ask my questions for you and Lev! You didn't answer them all last night!" The faunus accused, a bit more cheerful now that he had a new objective.

Sylvia chuckled at Vance's sudden change of mood. They reached their dorm and quickly filed in, Sylvia grabbing some lazy clothes as she snuck into the bathroom. It only took a few minutes before she was back out, wearing a thick hoodie and another pair of shorts. Settling back into her desk chair she pulled off her prosthetics, flinching at the spark flying up her nerves from the disconnect. Once everyone was settled, Sylvia turned to Lev before Vance could pounce on either of them. "Ready to talk now, Lev?" She asked, looking at her partner in concern.
 
Lev's notebook was filled to the brim at the end of the day. He had marked on every syllabus, written down every relevant word, and even profiled each teacher in the spare spaces, writing down his assumptions of how each class would end up. Fighting the urge to reprimand Vance for his unenthusiastic attitude toward learning, the black-haired boy stuck to his silent routine until the team arrived in their room. Still remaining quiet as a mouse, Lev snuck into the bathroom with his casual clothes and changed. Soon he was laying on his bed, wearing a black, blue, and white tie-dye shirt and torn up jeans. His hair was lazily tied into a low-hanging ponytail if only to keep it off his shoulders, and he held a book to his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Reyna, on the other hand, had struggled to keep up with any of the professors. The base of her fingers were red, and often in her mouth as a result of gripping her pencil so rigidly. Of course this minor pain didn't stop her from gaping at every new Faunus face in her vicinity. She didn't even bother changing when she got to the room, simply flopping on her bed with a groan. "Vance is right, lectures are dumb. We could at least go on a field trip or something interesting, but noooo! It's all papers and pencils and desks." She would have continued, but Sylvia seemed intent on making Lev talk tonight, and that wasn't something she was going to miss, especially if it meant getting the chance to call him out on being such a jerk.

"I-I, uh..." Lev stammered, expecting Vance, not Sylvia, to be the one initiating the conversation. With a gulp, he thought through his talk with Wunderland, sat up straight in bed, and looked to his team before continuing. "S-Sure, I guess. I think I should start by apologizing though. I've been a bit...difficult lately, and nothing excuses that. So...I'm sorry. Anyways, I suppose I'll start with last night. I was talking with my parents and...and..." Lev glanced at Sylvia, wondering if he should go into detail about his conversation. The last thing he wanted now was to pour guilt on the girl. He had already done enough as it was. "...and they wanted me to discuss some things with the headmistress. That's where I went this morning. My parents said that if I didn't get a few things cleared up with my record, they'd come and take me out of Beacon personally. Wunderland was reassuring 'n all, but she didn't give the answer my parents wanted to hear, so they're coming down tomorrow to take me out of school..." The fact hit harder than he meant it to, and tears began to gather in his eyes as a result. "I-I mean, I guess it's kinda my fault. I wanted to be a hunter, but I..." Lev did his best not to meet his partner's gaze. Biting back a curse, he did his best not to give the reason why everything was being blown out of proportion. "...I guess I'm not up to it, y-y'know? I thought I was, but...my parents..." He couldn't speak past his frustration any longer, simply leaning on his pillow as tears let loose. All he could do was choke out another apology as he tried to pull himself together, holding a hand out to prevent anyone from coming to coddle him. "*sniff* I-It's fine! I'm fine...go ahead and ask me what you want." He finally got out, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stop crying.
 
Sylvia listened carefully as Lev explained that he would no longer be staying at the school. Despite how the boy cried, she kept a blank face. Once he gave the go ahead for questions, the silverette spoke up. "That's crap." She stated, ignoring the shocked gasp from Vance. "I don't care what your parents think they're doing, you're staying here." Sylvia crossing her arms across her chest. "You said you wanted to be a hunter, and you've done the work to get here. You're not just going to leave like that. I won't let that happen. You not being up to hunting? That's the biggest load of crap I've ever seen. I've seen you fight. If you're not up to being a hunter, neither are any of the rest of us." Leaning forward, Sylvia looked Lev in the eye. "You're my teammate and my partner. I'm not letting them take you away if you don't want to go." A few beats passed.

Vance piped up. "Yeah! You're our teammate, Lev! We can't just let you leave! Otherwise we won't be team SLVR anymore!" He smiled as he looked over at Lev before launching into his questions. "I wanna ask, do you have any siblings? What's your favorite food? Why do you grow your hair long? Do you just like it long? I like my hair short! I also have four siblings! Two brothers and two sisters! Chicken's my favorite food! What's your semblance? Do you have any hobbies?" The faunus boy took a deep breath before turning to Sylvia. "How did you lose your legs, Sylvia? And you said your brother is gone? What do you mean gone? Did he have to leave or something? Where did he go?" He tilted his head, waiting for Sylvia's answers.

The normally calm and easygoing leader froze. Sylvia bit her lip as memories started to unstuck themselves, crawling back into her minds eye. "Ah... well... That's a bit of a hard question, Vance." She reached toward her stumps, rubbing at them as phantom pains ran up her nonexistent legs. "Give me a little bit to answer that first one, all right? Though I can answer your second one." The silverette took a deep breath as she explained. "My little brother died when I lost my legs. That's what I meant when I said he was gone." She explained before falling silent again, rubbing her stumps harder.

Frowning, Vance scrunched his brows. "But why is it a hard question? Is it that you don't know the answer?" He scooted forward on his bed as he watched their leader. Sylvia hesitated to answer, causing the faunus boy to frown before scooting forward to press a bit more.
 
Lev clenched his teeth at Sylvia's blunt response, but kept his composure as the silence passed. Soon enough his attention was directed to Vance, who quickly asked his questions to both him and his partner. Lev's attention quickly swiveled back to Sylvia, who responded first to the Faunus's questions. Her stoic expression was quick to break under the rather personal questions, and the black-haired boy could see it plainly enough. Before Vance could pressure her any more, Lev sat up and gave his response. "Vance, a hard question is something that we would rather not have an answer to. Let Syv tell us that on her own time. We've got plenty of time to hear her out." Despite being curious about her situation himself, Lev continued to appease the Faunus.

"Anyways, I have a sister! She's in Signal right now, and she's about the only thing from home that I can stand. Maybe you can all meet her someday...y'know, if things go well. *ahem* Uh, I don't really have a favorite food, now that I think about it. I like sweets, but I couldn't tell you what my favorite kind is. As for my hair...it wasn't exactly my choice. I'm just used to it now, though, so I never cut it. I don't exactly have hobbies. No time. Not with my studies and training and what-not. I'd always get swatted with a yard stick for goofing off as a kid, so...y'know." After getting the basic questions out of the way, he thought of how to best explain his semblance to his teammates. "A-As for my semblance...here, let me just..." Lev didn't bother finishing his sentence as he picked himself up from his bed and walked over to Vance. Without another word, he crouched down and jumped up, alighting on Vance's head while utilizing his ability, making him practically lighter than air. "...as long as there's something for me to step on, I can stand anywhere. You won't be rebounding me anytime soon, buddy." He leaned his head down to meet Vance's eyes with a smile before hopping off. "It's kinda like the perfect..." Lev froze at the word, swallowing hard before continuing on, "...th-the ideal ability for a hunter. Maybe I can give a better example when we have some free time outside."

Reyna had been sitting in absolute silence as everyone spoke, pondering all the new facts that presented themselves. Finally finding a moment of silence, she stood from her seat and walked over to Lev, giving him a solid punch to the arm. The sound it made left no doubt that the impact would leave a very large bruise, and the black-haired boy recoiled viciously as a result. Before he could express any frustration, the pinkette spoke up. "You never had an inkling of an idea that what you did and how you acted was wrong? I get it, your parents are jerks and whatever, so what? Saying sorry won't help my friends through the remedial courses you made them go through. It won't help them through physical therapy either!"

Lev wouldn't be interrupted any longer. Holding his arm with a wince, he broke through Reyna's accusations. "You clearly don't understand who I am. They were my friends too, but they couldn't keep up! I gave it my all for every day we were in Signal, and I still had to deal with a summer class. If they couldn't keep up with me, then maybe they needed the remedial classes."

"Screw you! Not all of us are gifted little rich kids!" Reyna was turning red, meeting his words head on. "I know exactly why you had to go through a summer course. You couldn't work as a team. You probably still can't! You were our class's ace, but you failed so bad in team mechanics...gods, yeah, it's clear I don't get you. I thought you might maybe be a decent guy despite how selfish you are on the field, but clearly you're just as big of a jerk as your parents. Runs in the family, does it?"

"Are you looking for a fight?!" Lev's response was instantaneous in reaction to Reyna's hurtful words. "Ace is an understatement, pinky, and you know it. You couldn't touch me if you tried."

"I'd snap you like a twig, you gods-forsaken hedgehog! Maybe you'll finally get a good look at the inside of an infirmary. Everyone knows you sent enough of my friends there, so it'd only serve you right."

The two's foreheads were pressed hard against each other at this point. Their eyes were narrowed, teeth were clenched, fists were balled, and it looked like the situation was about to come to blows then and there.
 
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